Commodity Sales Data Processing Using Image Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing commodity-sales-data processing systems face challenges in accurately calculating payment amounts due to the risk of scanning the same barcode multiple times, leading to potential errors in accounting.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses a camera to capture images of commodities, combined with a barcode scanner and touch panel display, to identify and calculate payment amounts based on image recognition and stored price information, reducing the likelihood of duplicate scans by using image pickup and processing to determine commodity identity and position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If barcode scanning is used for commodity identification, then the accounting process is simple and fast, but the risk of duplicate scanning increases leading to accounting errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccounting speedVSAvoidaccounting accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an image recognition system as an intermediary between barcode scanning and accounting processing. The camera captures images of commodities, and image processing verifies commodity identity and position, serving as a mediator to prevent duplicate scanning while maintaining accounting speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces part of the mechanical barcode scanning system with an optical image recognition system. Instead of relying solely on barcode scanners, the system uses cameras to capture and process images of commodities, substituting mechanical scanning with optical detection to improve reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If image recognition is added to barcode scanning, then commodity identification accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommodity identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the imaging system multi-functional by using the same camera for both capturing commodity images for identification and monitoring commodity position. This universal approach improves identification accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses image copies (photographs) of commodities captured by the camera as a substitute for physical barcode reading. The image processing creates digital representations of commodities that can be analyzed for identification, replacing the need for separate physical scanning mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10198722B2Commodity-sales-data processing apparatus, commodity-sales-data processing method, and computer-readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2019.02.05 TOSHIBA TEC KK

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a commodity-sales-data processing apparatus includes a display section, an image pickup section, an identifying section, a price-information acquiring section, and an amount calculating section. The image pickup section picks up images of commodities placed in a predetermined image pickup region on a display region of the display section. The identifying section identifies the commodities disposed in the predetermined image pickup region on the basis of the images picked up by the image pickup section. The price-information acquiring section acquires price information concerning prices of the commodities identified by the identifying section. The amount calculating section calculates a payment amount for the commodities on the basis of the price information acquired by the price-information acquiring section.